


The Kind Illustrator

by orphan_account



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-05-17 07:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5860345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU of the Evillustrator episode. Hinted Nathanette and Ladybug/ChatNoir.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Marinette knew in the seconds that Nathanael was turning his head that he would spot Chat Noir behind them. She knew just like she knew that if he did spy Chat Noir, this easy mission would go southward quick. In the rush of mere seconds Marinette did the first thing that came to mind to distract him.

She kissed him.

She didn't know why that was the first thing that popped into her head, maybe it was the romantic boat ride down the river, or the mood lighting, or the very soothing musical notes that still floated in the air above them even though their sound has since evaporated in the wind. Maybe it was all a combination of the night she'd been having or maybe it had nothing to do with her brain's decision at all but either way, she could not argue the results.

And the results, well they were…

Despite the kiss being a purely tactical maneuver, Marinette couldn't distance herself enough to say it was just a kiss. When she and Chat kissed, that was just a kiss. This was something different. Her kiss with Chat was mostly just a press of lips but once Nathanael registered what was going on he responded. A hand gently cupping her cheek, the slow sounds of the river, the dim light not bright enough to disturb her closed eyelids, a gentle but firm moving of lips against her own creating kinetic pleasure-

This was entirely new. New and pleasant, soft and such an overall surprise Marinette couldn't have predicted this even if her Ladybug power was fortune telling.

This definitely beat her first kiss with Chat Noir.

Wait.

Chat Noir.

Marinette opened her eyes that she squeezed shut and found Chat in her peripheral watching Nathanael and her kiss like some kind of creepy voyeur. He was twirling the white pen between his clawed fingers, grinning as if he was enjoying the show, not even making an effort to break the pen like she knew he could easily.

Only then did she realize her arms were wrapped around Nathanael's shoulders and that the hand that wasn't cupping her cheek had lowered to wrap around her own waist, his drawing pad nudging against her side.

Slowly, Marinette drew back, her cheeks a Ladybug red. She looked to Nathanael, his eyes still closed almost like he was still savoring the taste of her, and when his Cerulean eyes finally opened he looked so dazed. As if just the press of her lips against his could make him lose every sense of self and still have him afloat- despite herself, Marinette couldn't help at Nathanael's lips at a glance before looking back up at him.

After a few seconds Nathanael collected himself and said, "Wow...I-I can't say I expected that." He laughed and it sounded a little bit breathless, a little disbelieving, "Maybe in my wildest dreams- b-but I liked it. I mean thank you- I mean-"

Where the Evillustrator was suave and only a bit awkward, he was now stuttery and looking shy as- well, regular Nathanael. It was a good look on him, all things said and done. He ducked his head but without his bangs, Marinette could still see his face, his beautiful blue eyes, the slightly redder tint to his cheeks and then he looked at her behind his lashes and he looked so earnest and wow he really needed to lift his hair more and oh god he was _cute- oh no, oh no, oh no no no no no._

"Thank you Marinette, I think you just made me the happiest guy on Earth." He said and still he sounded so breathless and then he was leaning closer and closer- except instead of another kiss, Marinette felt the warmth of his embrace around her. She let him hug her, and let her own arms bring him closer. Her face was calm but inside her mind was boggling. This wasn't good. She shot a glare at Chat Noir who she could see from over Nathanael's shoulder but to her surprise even the infallible cat seemed red under the collar. He wasn't looking at them but pointedly to the side where the boat still swam over the river. Knowing he wouldn't be any help, she just let herself enjoy the hug.

And then, to her surprise, a blindingly white butterfly fluttered onto her nose. Not just any butterfly but a purified Akuma- but she didn't purify it and as far as she knew, Chat Noir couldn't purify Akuma's himself. She only had a moment to notice it before it fluttered away, a white dot against the inky dark night.

"Bye bye little butterfly." She whispered as a wave of white came over the Evillustrator, transforming him right beneath her hug into Nathanael.

"What?" He said when he was back- pulling away from her to look around them, and it was him alright, same red shirt and gray jacket and black pants, his hair falling into his left eye.

"You turned to an Akuma- a supervillian with drawing powers." Chat said, finally coming out of the shadows. "I'll be honest, I would've been jealous of your powers if mine weren't already purr-fect."

"I did?" Nathanael asked, a hitch in his breath and a panicked look in his eye. He looked around again and finally he seemed to notice his arms around Marinette. He stood dizzyingly fast from the bench and backed away so much he almost tripped off the boat's side, only Chat Noir's quick reflexes stopping him from taking a dunk in the midnight cold river.

"Thank you." He mumbled before stepping away from the ledge and closer to Marinette. Beseechingly, he asked if he hurt her.

"I wouldn't say you _hurt_ her," Chat Noir responded, "In fact I think I'd say you did the exact opposit- OW!"

Marinette dropped her offending hand from her side and looked at Nathanael with a sweet grin, despite the fact that she just slapped Chat Noir, infamous superhero of Paris, on the back of his head. "What Chat means to say is nothing bad happened and you didn't hurt anyone."

"He chased Chloe with a five feet hair dryer."

"That hardly counts."

Nathanael, not looking anymore confident and if anything, a lot more apologetic, opened his mouth only to be silenced by Chat. "Don't worry about it. You have got to be the most peaceful Akuma victim I've ever faced, and I've faced a Kit-ton." Chat said with a wink and a smile.

Nathanael weakly smiled back but didn't seem very comforted. "Either way, I'm so sorry. You probably have better things to do than to clean up after low-rated villains."

Chat waved it off and stepped closer. "It's fine." He grabbed Nathanael's hand and before Nathanael could register it, Chat's hand was gone and his drawing pen was in his hand. "That being said, I am awfully busy- things to do and what not." And here Chat looked at his wrist, completely empty of any watch, and Marienette could clearly see his ring, full paw and all." But I would hate to leave Marinette alone to walk home by herself in this dark hour- robbers and all that- Nathanael, can you walk her home?" Chat said with a sly wink.

"I can walk myself home y'know." Marinette stated, looking at Chat disapprovingly.

"Of course Princess, but still, I would rest easier if I knew you were safe. If you won't let Nathanael walk you home then maybe I should just carry you-"

Marinette's lips thinned but still she walked off the still boat and looked back at Nathaniel, waiting. Chat, having caught on, gave her a little salute and jumped to the nearest lamppost and in seconds, he was on the rooftops blending into the night.

Nathanael, poor guy, still seemed so confused, standing on the edge of the boat that had mercifully stopped sailing for some reason or another. Marinette held out her hand. Nathanael, uncomprehending stared at it.

"You coming or not?" She called.

Nathanael seemed to snap out of whatever trance he'd been in and nodded. Taking a step back, he breathed in, and jumped the short gap from the boat and the sidewalk. He stumbled a bit, landing on the ground hard and bumping into her.

"Sorry." He said, his form highlighted by the moon. This close together, both standing, Marinette noticed how taller than her he was. Just a few inches, but like this, it seemed like he was bigger than her in a weird way.

Marinette stepped away first and started walking home. "You don't have to walk me back but if you're going to, we should probably get going."

There was a pause where Marinette continued walking before she could hear footsteps rushing to fall in line with hers. Despite her previous statement of needing no supervision for her walk home, Marinette felt a smile touch her lips.

\------

The walk home was mostly filled with questions. Nathanael, after having apologized a lot, including having drawn her without her permission, was worried about how much harm he did.

Marinette answered as best she could but when Nathanael asked about why they were hugging before his transformation back, she struggled a bit. She knew she could gloss over the kiss and he wouldn't be any wiser. She could just claim it was purely platonic, which it kinda was, but still…

"Isn't this your house?" Nathanael said. Marinette looked back and found that he was right. They had walked right by the bakery, and consequently, her house.

"Yes!" Marinette said, relieved. "This is my place. Thanks for walking me."

"It was no problem. Good night Marinette."

Nathanael turned to leave but before he could Marinette grasped his arm. Without a second thought Marinette said, "Goodnight Nathanael, and happy birthday." And then she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, his skin cool underneath her lips.

She waited for him to say something. Anything. He didn't. She waved her hands in front of his face and he still didn't respond. She shrugged and, having no clue what else to do, went inside.

By the time she was upstairs and looking out her window, he was gone, the only thing on the lonely streets being a white dove, no doubt pecking at crumbs outside the bakery.

"Tikki." She whispered when she was sure no one else was up at this midnight hour. "Transform me."

Ladybug didn't have to browse the rooftops long before she spotted Chat Noir. He was by the river, looking at the boat that still floated on the river, not anchored by anything but not moving either.

She settled next to him and asked, "How was your solo mission?"

"Purr-fect. Not a hitch in sight."

Even though she was there, she cast a disbelieving stare at Chat, her eyes narrowed in false-suspicion.

"Honest, I handled that Akuma expertly. You should let me do more solo missions on my own."

 _Don't you mean Marinette did?_ Still, Ladybug didn't argue. She had more important questions on her mind.

"How did you purify the Akuma?"

"I didn't it just-" He shrugged, shoulders rolling like the boat on the waves, "It purified itself."

"And how is that possible?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"You're right, why am I asking you?" Ladybug stood but before she could leave Chat's paws grabbed her arm.

"Wait! Don't I get a reward for defeating the bad guy on my own?" Chat asked, swaying closer.

"A reward?" She asked. "What kind of reward?"

Chat's smug cat grin got even more smug as he leaned forward and closed his eyes, his lips puckered up. He leaned in more and more and more but all he ever caught was cold air. When he opened his eyes, Ladybug was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, maybe next time then."

\------------

When Nathanael got home and answered his parents questions about his whereabouts, Nathanael was dead tired. There were text messages from Rose and Juleka wishing him Happy Birthday and tiredly he replied to them until his eyes started getting blurry and only the brightness from his phone was keeping him from sleep.

With a tired yawn Nathanael flipped on his stomach to go to sleep except there was something digging into his chest.

Ah, his pen that he put in his coat pocket. Tiredly he dug it out and set it upon his bedside table. Curiously, just outside the window he could see a white dove.

Before he slept that night, Nathanael couldn't help but think of the wonderful night he had and wonder if the symbol of peace and love outside his window meant something good will come tomorrow.


	2. Transformation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathanael needs to be careful what he wishes for. (or at least wish more decisively and with more confidence)

The next day Nathanael watched as Marinette walked into class looking a little worse for wear. She sneezed, once, twice, three times before she even walked to her desk, her nose a bright and sickly red. A cold. Guiltily Nathanael wondered if Marinette’s sickness was his fault, if maybe inviting her to a birthday party at night in the chilly fall weather was a good idea, villainized or not.

“Ew get away from me.” Chloe said as Marinette accidentally bumped into the girl on her way to throw away a few tissues. “I don’t want your nasty germs on me.”

He had to apologize to her. He had to- except he didn’t know how he would do that when he got tongue tied just by thinking of the kiss she bestowed upon him. Nathanael watched her before class started, miserably sniffing while at the same time reassuring Alya that she was fine and tried to gather his courage to go down there and apologize- but he just couldn’t, too afraid of looking more foolish than did yesterday- So there he sat at the back of class until class started.

Today in class was boring. Or maybe it was yesterday’s full schedule that made normal class boring in comparison. Either way Nathanael refused his urge to open up his sketchbook and draw, very conscious of the fact that his book was full of drawings of the sickly girl in the front. He still didn’t know what to make of that kiss and any reminders of it would only bring it to the forefront of his mind. No, he needed another distraction. So he started doodling in his tablet instead.

Of course fifteen minutes later he realized all his doodles were of Marinette, eyes lit by moonlight and pink lips in a small smile.

Frustrated, Nathanael plucked his head down silently, head blocked by his crossed arms. He had to have only his head down for a few seconds before someone tapped his head. He tensed. Was it the teacher? He’d hate for something like yesterday to happen again. (Except if it got him closer to Marinette…no he couldn’t think like that.)

He cautiously raised his head to see Juleka next to him giving him a questioning stare.

‘What’s wrong?’ She mouthed above Madame Bustier’s lecture.

‘Nothing. Just bored.’ Nathanael mouthed back. He turned to stare forward again and for the rest of the class day it was the same old same old. Nathanael felt his chances with Marinette slipping further and further away as he retreated back to his usual shell. It felt a little depressing being so shy that he was willingly let this opportunity slip away but it wasn’t Nathanael that asked Marinette on a date. It was the Evillustrator. And the Evillustrator didn’t leave a play by play diagram on how to be confident: How to woo the girl.

If only he could become the Evillustrator one more time. If only…

So consumed by his own musings, Nathanael didn’t realize that on his way home he had passed by the boat- the same one from yesterday night- until he realized it was following him. No, that was ridiculous. A boat he conjured from being villainized couldn’t be following him afterward could it? Pulling back his hair from his right eye a little, Nathanael stopped walking alongside the river… and the boat stopped too.

Oh no.  
\----------------

“I hate colds!” Marinette said through a stuffy nose. Alya patted her back sympathetically until Marinette sneezed. She hovered a safer distance away.

“You were fine yesterday. What happened?”

“I forgot to close my window last night.” Marinette said, inwardly wincing at the small lie she told her friend. She couldn’t tell Alya that her window was erased by an Akuma trying to ask her on a date. Alya wouldn’t stop talking about the library incident yesterday and if she found out the Akuma got into her room, there’d be no stopping the questions. Marinette didn’t feel like answering questions today. She didn’t even know what she was going to tell her parents. “Hey mom and dad, my window’s broken but there isn’t any broken glass because it was erased.” Marinette groaned again, tipping her head back and instantly regretted her decision as a wave of dizziness passed over her.

“Will you be okay walking home by yourself?” Alya asked as they came across the intersection they usually parted on. She gave Marinette a once over and Marinette held back her urge to sneeze and instead attempted to give a reassuring smile. Except Alya kind of grimaced and yeah, Marinette didn’t feel any better. And Adrien saw her like this too. Her life was over.

“I’ll be fine.” Marinette said with a dismissive wave of her hand. 

“If you’re sure, girl.” Alya said. Her eyebrow was still furrowed and her eyes hovered over Marinette’s face. It was clear she didn’t believe her. Marinette didn’t feel that bad.

“My house is five minutes from here and I still have my phone, I’ll be fine Alya.” Marinette said. They parted ways on that and Marinette, left alone, started to wonder if her parents didn’t already notice the gaping hole in their daughter’s window. It wouldn’t that be hard to notice, just one errant comment from an observant customer and they’d know all about it. Marinette spent the rest of the way home trying to think up excuses. An errant baseball from the nearby park? She was clumsy and accidentally threw her yo-yo out the window while it was still closed?

Marinette had tried cleansing light yesterday and it hadn’t worked. Tikki said it had to do with how the Akuma was cleansed yesterday, but that didn’t make any sense. Maybe if she tried again…

So muddled with her thoughts, Marinette didn’t realize she was staring at her window until she was in front of the bakery’s doors, head tilted back in thought. The first thought to register was, “Oh. I’m home.”

The second was, “The window isn’t broken anymore.”

Wait. What?

Marinette blinked, once, twice- and yes, it wasn’t an illusion of light or her watery eyes playing tricks on her. Her window was fixed. Did her parents fix it? Or was the broken window always meant to be fixed after the Akuma was purified, but delayed because of how it was purified?

Before Marinette could contemplate more the stomping of feet and a thousand screams distracted her. Marinette felt a strong gust of wind as a crowd of people ran past her. One scream suspiciously sounded like a panicked and strangled call of, “BEEEEEEEEES!”

“Go my lovelies!” A strong feminine voice called out. “Let your stings infect those lesser beings. Let our hivemind become bigger! Go, in the name of the Bee Queen!”

Marinette whimpered, her feet standing on the porch of their home. She glanced longingly at the door to her home, the scent of her papa’s creations making even her slightly nauseous stomach rumble. So close…

With a put upon sigh, Marinette dashed into the nearest alleyway and opened her purse. Tikki flew up next to her.

“Are you sure you want to do this Marinette? You shouldn’t push yourself if you're feeling bad.”

Marinette smiled and sniffed. “Yeah but if I don’t take care of it then who will? Chat Noir, if he did purify the Akuma, didn’t know how he did it. We’re the only ones who can resolve the situation the right way.”

“If you’re sure Marinette.”

Marinette nodded. “I’m sure. Tikki, transform me!”

A few seconds later a very ruddy cheeked Ladybug was swinging closer to the sound of a million buzzing bees.  
\------------------------

Nathanael tried his hardest to ignore the boat on his way home. He didn’t even really need to be by the river to go home, but he had wanted to see if it was still there- and it was- and now it was following him. The riverside was also strangely empty as well. Usually there’d be other people sitting along the stone walls that surrounded the river. There were one or two people farther along but they didn’t seem to realize that there was a boy being followed by an unmanned boat. And it was unmanned, he realized the instant he saw it. No captain, or person, or anything. Just...a boat with lamps dotting the perimeter, a park bench and a miniature eiffel tower- with…

a glowing orb.

Was the orb glowing last night? He knew it was lit last night yet he wasn’t sure if it glowed. He wasn’t even sure what he was seeing was glowing. The glare of the afternoon sun made it hard to tell if the orb was getting dimmer and brighter or if it was just his imagination.

He squinted at the orb- and yes, it was getting brighter and dimmer. Like some kind of heartbeat, expanding and contracting- it was almost like it was calling him. He stopped, mesmerized and the boat stopped too.

He didn’t remember yesterday exactly, didn’t even remembering designing the boat even though Marinette assured him he was the one who made it. What he did know was the results. Marinette kissed him on the cheek because of yesterday. He was noticed because of yesterday. He had his crush hug him on his birthday because of yesterday. What if this was a chance for a repeat?

Nathanael didn’t notice the boat drifting closer to the sidewalk until his left foot was already firmly planted on the boat’s floor. Instantly he tried to retract his foot but the boat shook and he tripped with the motions, and suddenly he was face down, his limbs akimbo and his teeth feeling a little sore from where it banged against the ship’s floor.

This was a bad idea. What was I thinking? Me become the Evillustrator again? That’s so dumb. I’m so dumb. Nathanael thought to himself. He picked himself up again and instantly blanched. Where the boat was once near the sidewalk, now it had sailed in to the exact middle of the river. Nathanael could potentially swim back to land but all his textbooks would get wet, not to mention his sketchbooks.

Timidly Nathanael looked around. There didn’t seem to be anyone attacking him…

Gathering his bearings, Nathanael slowly walked around the boat. Last night was dark and such a blur that he didn’t remember much about the boat besides the obvious but as he looked closer, he saw tiny details that he must’ve worked hard on. There was lights hung up on the side, that were dim in the daylight but must’ve looked beautiful at night and shrubbery that sprouted from nowhere but still looked vibrant nonetheless. The boat itself wasn’t structurally that astounding, just a boxy design, but the head of the boat was slightly more elevated than the rest of it, granting the people who sat in the park bench a greater view of the mini eiffel tower.

I can’t believe I drew this. It must’ve taken me the whole day.

Nathanael was so busy simultaneously admiring and critiquing his own design in his head that he didn’t notice he wasn’t alone until the other passenger flew into his face.

Literally.

“Hello Nathanael, I’m Trypp and I’m going to be your new friend!”

So panicked, Nathanael started walking backwards, tripping on his own feet until he landed on the park bench.

“Wha-wha-” Nathanael gulped for air. He blinked and shook his head. A bug was talking to him. Some kind of white and black bug-

“I said-” The thing practically honked, “I’m Trypp and I’m going to be your new friend.”

Nathanael knew his mouth was flapping but he was helpless to stop the gesture just as he was helpless to stop his little squeak as the thing flew closer.

“Is your hair in your face? Here.” Nathanael felt as tiny- stalks? lifted his hair from his face and despite tilting his head away, the thing kept pulling his hair back until he could properly see it. At first all he saw was a lot of white but then it zoomed away, it’s- arms? on its hips and a satisfied expression gracing it’s face.

‘Trypp’ had a big head and a very very small body. It’s eyes were a dark grey, almost dark black. The skin surrounding its eyes and the bridge of its nonexistent nose was black, transforming into- what looked like- a small, orange duck bill except more pointed. Save for the black legs, the rest of Trypp was a pure white. 

“Master Fu was wrong. This is easy! That old man is paranoid.” Trypp said. Despite himself Nathanael couldn’t help but ask who, exactly, was the hallucinating swan bug talking about.

“Master Fu, he’s over there!” Trypp said, pointing to a small man just visible in the distance, staring at them. “Here, I’ll steer us closer.” Trypp flew to the top of the eiffel tower and landed on the glowing orb and suddenly the boat was steering directly toward the man. Nathanael watched as the man realized they were approaching him. Before Nathanael could make any more details besides that the man had graying hair and a red shirt, Master Fu had turned and left at a fast pace.

Trypp flew off the orb and went to the head of the boat, looking out towards where the man disappeared, hovered for a few, then shrugged. “He was the one who said we might need more Miraculous holders to defeat Hawk Moth anyway.” Trypp turned around and floated back to Nathanael who sat on the bench, clenching his messenger bag.

“Miracu-what?”

“That’s right!” Trypp said. It was hard to tell with the small beak, but Nathanael thought the thing was smiling. “Congratulations Nathanael, you are now a Miraculous holder, and I- your faithful Kwami companion!” Nathanael closed his eyes as Trypp started flying in circles around his head.

“Are you ready to be infused with poise and grace? Are you ready to take to the rooftops, a white swan’s dance against the midnight sky? Are you ready to be free?” Trypp did a few flips in the air, each rhetorical question accentuated with a pose that seemed more and more extravagant. At the word free, Trypp flew in an upward spiral and landed on Nathanael’s head with featherlight pressure.

The next words were spoken in such a solemn tone, so unlike the previous enthusiastic tone, that Nathanael’s heart almost skipped a beat.

“I’m ready to be free.” Trypp whispered to the strands of Nathanael hair.

Nathanael brought his belongings closer to his chest. What did that mean? Nathanael tensed. Haltingly, he spoke. “Speaking of free...Can I get off this boat now?”

“Of course,” Trypp honked. He flew to the still-glowing orb on top of the miniature eiffel tower, flying back and forth over it like an excited child wanting their mother to buy a really cool toy. “All you have to do is touch this, grab the Miraculous, and we’re good to go!”

“What’s...a miraculous?”

“It’s something that will help you get off the boat, don’t worry about it.” Trypp said with clear impatience. “C’mon, c’mon, I’m not gonna steer us back until you touch the orb- c’mon.”

Marinette didn’t say anything about this in the boats designs. Still, if it would get him out of the middle of this river… Nathanael breathed in and out, in and out, and slowly stood on his wobbly legs. Soon he was in front of the orb, having to tip toe to reach.

The orb let out a blinding light, Nathanael had to brace himself on the tower just to make sure he didn’t slip in his blindness. As he touched, the orb dissolved and he could just feel the tips of his fingers touching something. 

“A little higher!” Trypp honked. “Just reach a little bit higher and you’ll get it!”

Nathanael stretched and stretched until his arm ached and he was pressed taut against the tower and then finally, “I think I got it!”  
Bringing his right hand down, Nathanael opened his clasped palm and found.

“A hair clip?” The hair clip was a bland back and it looked to be a snap clip. Something he could easily find, if not at a store, then by asking his friends Juleka or Rose.

“Yeah, you got it, you got it, you got it!” Trypp sang, twirling around and doing loop-de-loops mid air. Trypp flew to the top of the tower, now globeless, and peered down at Nathanael. “Congratulations Nathanael, you are now a miraculous holder!”

His name, how did Trypp know his name? Nathanael was about to ask, but then the hand that was braced against the tower was suddenly supported by thin air. Nathanael tilted forward as the whole tower began to disappear line by line until he was swinging his arms trying to balance.

“I got you.” Trypp wheezed as Nathanael felt a weight pull him back by the jacket. Beneath his feet, the sturdy wood flooring was disappearing. There was a weighty groan as the boat started to pitch downward. Great, not only was the boat disappearing- it was sinking and disappearing.

Why him?

“Nathanael, if you want to get off this boat you have to transform.”

“What!” Nathanael asked, holding his messenger bag closer to his chest as if by holding it close, when he inevitably got dumped in the river, they would somehow become waterproof.

“Just say ‘Trypp transform me!’”

“That doesn’t sound right.”

“Just trust me.”

“You said you’d steer the boat to safety when I touched the orb!”

“I...well I lied, but the sentiment is the same! I could get you off the boat dry!”

“How?”

“Just say the words and you’ll transform, like Ladybug and Chat Noir!” Trypp flew above Nathanael’s panicked gaze. “Everybody wants to be like a superhero right? That’s what you wanted to be when you became the Evillustrator isn’t it?”

It looked like Nathanael would refuse to say the words. As the boat dissolved straight down the middle, creating two halves that dipped downward as the boat simultaneously disappeared and sank, Nathanael scrambled upward to hold onto the park bench. He held on for a good three minutes or so, hoping someone would save him but the boat was sinking twice as fast as it slowly evaporated until finally he said, red faced and sweaty handed- 

“Trypp transform me!”

“Gladly.” Trypp honked as the Kwami dove into Nathanael’s open palm. Nathanael only had a moment to see the black hair clip turn a glowing white before it floated upward and attached itself to his hair with a final snap.

Then he started to feel a familiar warmth enveloped his whole body; like when he woke up in Marinette’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, I actually had this written out a long time ago but I forgot about it plus I hesitated because I didn't know what pairing I wanted this story to ultimately be (I actually still don't know if I want adrienette or nathanette.) but I saw this in my drafts after a long time and I decided to finally post it. More's coming soon, i have next chap already completed.
> 
> Also I really liked everyone's fox!nathanael miraculous but I didn't think the fox really suited him? (not that the animal I chose really suits him either but eh.) Trypp is an OC. 
> 
> This chap is actually 100 percent inspired by a comment from the first chapter by Greytune who pointed out that since Marinette didn't use her healing light in the first chapter, all the stuff that was broken is still broken. It gets resolved in this chap tho.

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe there'll be more of this but now I'm marking it as complete.


End file.
